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Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Influenza Outbreaks in Residential Care Facilities for Public Health Units in Australia

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Table of contents

The Guidelines and attached appendices make recommendations for:

  • preventing outbreaks (chapter 2)
  • defining outbreaks (chapter 3)
  • assessing the outbreak situation (section 4.1)
  • forming an outbreak management team (section 4.2)
  • outbreak investigation and management (sections 4.3 to 4.6)
  • outbreak monitoring (section 4.7)
  • declaring an outbreak over (section 4.8)

    The steps are summarized in the summary flowchart below (page 4).

    The appendices provided include letters, information and checklists for the Public Health Unit (PHU) to utilise or forward to RCF managers and general practitioners to assist in outbreak control.

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    • Table of Contents
    Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Influenza Outbreaks in Residential Care Facilities for Public Health Units in Australia
      Disclaimer
      Acknowledgements
      Preface
      How to use this document
      Summary Flow Chart
      Chapter 1: Introduction
       1.1 Influenza
       1.2 Linkages with other documents and the internet
      Chapter 2: Preventing Outbreaks
       2.1 Vaccination
       2.2 Infection Control Precautions
      Chapter 3: Outbreak and Case Definitions
       3.1 Introduction
       3.2 Respiratory Disease Outbreak Definition
       3.3 Case definition
       3.4 Outcome definitions
      Chapter 4: Investigation and Management of Outbreaks
       4.1 Assess the Suspected Outbreak
       4.2 Outbreak Investigation and Management Team
       4.3 The Investigation
       4.4 Diagnostic tests
       4.5 Documents for communication with the facility
       4.6 Outbreak control measures
       4.7 Monitoring the outbreak
       4.8 Declare that the outbreak is over
       4.9 Debriefing
      Chapter 5: References
      Appendices
       Appendix 1: Environmental Cleaning
       Appendix 2: Respiratory Outbreak Control Measures
       Appendix 3: Checklist for Public Health Unit for Investigation and Management of Outbreaks
       Appendix 4: Respiratory Outbreak Line Listing - Residents ONLY
       Appendix 5: Part A Respiratory Outbreak Line Listing Form - Staff ONLY
       Appendix 6: Influenza & Pneumococcal Immunisation Survey
       Appendix 7: Sample Collection Guide*
       Appendix 8: Guidelines for Taking Nasal and Throat Swabs
       Appendix 9: Respiratory outbreak transfer notification
       Appendix 10: Visitor Restriction Sign - Facility
       Appendix 11: Visitor Restriction Sign - Room
       Appendix 12: Antiviral medications for treatment and prophylaxis of influenza
       Appendix 13: Respiratory illness/Influenza outbreak alert letter to RCF Manager
       Appendix 14: Respiratory illness/Influenza outbreak alert letter to medical practitioner
       Appendix 15: Glossary and List of Abbreviations